Re: Is the age of a dead burglar,assailant,armed robber, attempted rapist/murder rela
Interesting, I didn't know you could load bean bags into shotguns or rubber bullets into firearms as a first round. That sounds like a good idea, joko. I haven't read the criticisms...but...a firearm loaded with rubber bullets and "if left out, not correctly put away, or somehow got into the hands of younger kids" ...can still be lethal. I've seen the welts those rubber bullets produce and they ain't pretty and if one hit a child in the head it could easily kill them and if that didn't, the second more lethal round surely would. There really is no excuse for a leaving a loaded weapon easily accessible in a house with children present, whether it has rubber bullets in it or not.
Totally agree...except for the reason I mentioned above. If you're worried about not shooting a young kid trying to steal (which is not that uncommon) then why don't you get a security camera instead? That way you have the evidence and the kid isn't physically hurt or worse.
Even the castle doctrine mentions 'reasonable' and 'reasonable force' doesn't it?
A rubber bullet can be lethal, but rarely is. Bean bags are not.
A serious camera offers no physical safety protection. We have many security cameras and 3 independent systems for them. But that a different matter.
As much as firearms are secured, if there are accessible to be used in any quick way, there is a higher risk of a child or kids getting into it. There also is that inadvertent mental glitch where it is just set down and then there is some distraction etc.
But the other reason is that why the slogan is "don't point a gun at anything you don't intend to kill," I don't agree with that slogan. There is a huge middle ground of hesitation, of the mind trying to instantly figure out a situation - possibly still half asleep or totally startled. Do you shoot or not? If you don't and you are wrong, you may then be assaulted or killed. If you do and you are wrong, you have killed someone for which it was unnecessary.
There also is a curious psychology of the "criminal." Unlike Hollywood, most criminals won't stop, put their hands in the air or get down on the floor as commanded. 90+% of the time the person will FLEE or ATTACK. There are very REAL delay times between when a person sees something until the person can literally physically react to it.
In that context, my wife (who is extremely trained in firearms and even in situational live-fire training - plus already extreme in developed motor, speed and coordination skills). But she is small, petite, and female (higher assault attempt likelihood.) I'm average at best with a firearm, but (not to try to be macho) I'm quite tough and very experienced in that regards. Her and I both have exact opposite rules concerning shooting "when in doubt." When in doubt, she is to shoot - because she is highly dependent on her firearm for her defense of herself and our family. When in doubt, I wouldn't shoot because I am not dependent on a firearm generally for defense.
The rubber bullet/beanbag allows less risk in those grey areas. And dramatically reduces accidental gun deaths or shooting someone for which it truly wasn't necessary.
Finally, a rubber bullet as the first round can tell you if it really is necessary. The person, of course, would not know it is a rubber bullet. Someone shot with a rubber bullet knows they've been shot, nothing else, in that first Instant. If you shot someone with a rubber bullet - and that person comes at you, then you know it is kill or be killed. How long does it take to just keep pulling the trigger? Plus it would demonstrate to the police/judge/jury/court you had not choice with the 2nd then lethal round.
If GZ's first round had been a rubber bullet? At that range TM would have been repelled, certain he had been hit, the pain fantastic and TM likely then would have fled. It certainly would have startled TM for a second - enough for GZ to gather his wits too. GZ still would have had the remaining deadly rounds (actually, rubber bullets with then lethal rounds is only reliable in revolvers that do not rely on recoil for auto-loading).
The reason for rubber bullets/bean bags is because in every way possible we want to avoid anyone accidently or wrongly killed by one of our firearms, but we also absolutely want them for self defense. So that is how WE balance the dilemma and diametric opposite considerations.
Most guys on this forum tend to respond with a view that shooting someone with a rubber bullet is like shooting them with a plastic airsoft pellet. Actually, if close, it is like getting hit by someone hitting you as hard as they can with a hard rubber rounded end of a ballpeen hammer. But it 99% certain the person will live and fully recovery quickly.